


Next Door

by MissPerla09



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: F/M, Family Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romantic Comedy, Starish - Freeform, Utapri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-06-08 05:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15236733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissPerla09/pseuds/MissPerla09
Summary: The marriage with Ittoki Otoya was like a blessing in her life. So, when the blessing ended without her nor him wanted to, it was not surprising when it felt like he took her life together with him.Nanami Haruka never understood this. Who on earth would hurt her Otoya? What did her husband do to deserve the unacceptable death? Even when she stood a chance to return to her past and start over with him, could she find the mystery of his husband’s death easily? Or perhaps, Otoya’s secret was way darker than his smile?DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Uta no Prince Sama. I just own the plot





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to inform that the concept was the same as my previous work, Crystal Time. The male lead died and Haruka got a chance to return to the past and save him. Yet, the rest of the plot will be completely different since most of it relies on the male lead’s storyline in the anime + game version.

 

**A**  pair of twitched eyebrows was not merely the description to convey what Ittoki Haruka experienced right now. She looked around; big trees everywhere, the mild sunshine which cascaded her adorable face and the benches in random spots. She knew this park and its address.

Yet, it still did not soothe her nervousness even for a crumb.

Instead, this peaceful place was unnerving because if her memory served her right, the last activity that she did before she was 'teleported' here was shopping with her husband, Ittoki Otoya.

"Where is Otoya-kun?" She muttered, nervously. She never thought that it would be hard for her to search for the man given his hair color was very striking.

_Did I get lost? But, this park is too far from the mall so how did I end up here?_ She thought. Haruka reached her side, attempting to fish her smartphone out of her handbag but much to her terror, she lost the object. All of her belongings including an identity card, a purse, a car key, and Otoya's wallet were all placed in the handbag so what was she supposed to do now?

As she walked her way, her eyes settled on a small boy with red hair, sitting alone on a bench. He wore a baby blue sweater, a pair of dark blue jeans, and dark brown shoes.

_What is this boy doing alone here? Is he lost like me too? But, he seems familiar..._

She looked around again and that was when she realized that apart from the boy and her, there was no one else. Unlike a typical park which was one of the general public spaces, despite the beauty and peace, no one seemed motivated enough to breathe a fresh air here neither taking their kids along.

_This place is weird but the boy is beyond strange. Why did he cover his face like..._

Her golden eyes sized up as the image of the boy became crystal clear in her eyes. She knew the red hair. She recognized the endearing red eyes. She knew it was impossible for her, the 26 years-old Ittoki Haruka to meet the boy but she was layered with excitement to see him. Convinced that this was a dream and decided to greet him, she moved slowly, did not want to scare nor surprise him. Yet, she was the one who got surprised to see that he was shedding tears. His shoulders shook as he let out his sobs and that alone broke her heart as a woman who loved him dearly.

_Why... Why did this child version of Otoya-kun cry? Did he miss his aunt?_

The sorrow immediately tugged her heart as the fact that she married an orphan hit her mind. She never encountered a very sad Otoya face-to-face before so for a few seconds, she did not know what to do. Her legs kept dragging her to him but as clumsy as she got, she tripped over a twig and toppled onto the ground. The mortifying mishap took place right in front of the small boy that it startled him. Ignoring a few drops of tears which still clung to his cheeks, Otoya ran towards Haruka who was mentally cursing herself for being pathetic, holding her shoulder softly.

" _Oneechan_ , are you alright? Does it hurt?" His red eyes felt so close to her own and as ludicrous as it looked like for the others who did not have any idea what their relationship was, her face went red. Haruka had a lot of weakness and one of them was Otoya's beautiful crimson eyes. It was not the beauty that mesmerized her but it was the sincere love that concealed behind them.

"No, I... I am fine," she stuttered, struggling to stand up with a pride but wincing afterward, pulling her to the original position.

"You are hurt,  _oneechan_ ," Otoya said, looking more panicky than Haruka herself. As he blinked, the tears dropped down to his chin but he did not even bother to wipe them first. "Let's sit over there and check up the injury,  _oneechan_ ," he pulled her arm softly, waiting for Haruka to be ready to get up again.

"Okay, Oto... I mean, thank you," Haruka replied. Otoya was still holding her arm, attempting to help her walking when in fact, it did not help much. Still, he looked cute with his eyes followed every Haruka's pace so that she could walk properly.

"Sit here,  _oneechan_ ," Otoya slowly made her sit on the bench before nervously observed her from head to toe. " _Oneechan_ , your knee and hands..."

"Oh, it's okay. It's not that hurt," she recoiled when she realized that she was staring at an elementary school boy with such an interest.

Everything about Ittoki Otoya was so lovely. The way his big eyes expressed his worry about a stranger (if she was a kidnapper, she would not hesitate to kidnap and bring up this boy for good. He was an orphan anyway.), the way he talked, the way his messy hair suited the shape of his face... All of them were just fascinating. It was beyond wonderful when she could see the child version of the person who she loved in the midst of this illogicality.

"Really? But it looked hurt," Otoya pulled her hands close to his eyesight, observed the bruises in pity. "If I were you, I would cry,  _oneechan_."

"But, you already cried right?" She asked, much to Otoya's shock. "You still had tears on your cheeks."

He lowered his gaze which made his body hunched forward.

"What's your name? Why did you cry?" Haruka asked. It would be weird for her to know his name in this situation but she needed one to address him.

"My... My name is Otoya," his small shoulders shook while the way his eyes gazed at the grass was saddled with melancholy that it took all for Haruka not to break into tears as well. "I miss my aunt."

Haruka bit her lips. Her hand reacted upon seeing the pain that the boy was shouldering, caressing his back.

"My aunt... She just died because of an illness and I miss her already," Otoya answered, wiping the tears that continued streaming his tan face. Even when he bit his lips to stop his sobs from escaping, it did not help much. "I don't know my parents. I only have my aunt but she also left me. Everybody said that I provided the cause..."

Otoya gasped as his small frame was trapped into Haruka's embrace. That was when Haruka realized that the boy just wanted comfort because it did not take long for him to snuggle up to her even he did not even know her. He was lonely and in pain. He tried to be strong because that was what he promised to his late aunt, but what a boy could bear it all the time? There was always a moment for him to reach his breaking point.

"It's okay... If you need a shoulder to cry on,  _oneechan_  is here for you. You can cry all you want," she stroked the silky hair before pecking his head. She could feel his hand grabbed a small piece of her yellow dress to keep her close.

"I wonder if my parents left me to my aunt because they didn't love me. Maybe I made them feel sad..."

"What are you saying? Of course you're not! No parents in this world will leave their children because they don't love them. The parents always love the children," Haruka said even she knew his future well. Up until now, Otoya never knew who his parents were nor the reason why they left him.

Yet, as for now, she did not have the heart to tell the boy the truth. He was feeble. The adult Otoya did not deserve the pain of being abandoned, not to mention this child.

"Is that true,  _oneechan_?"

"Yes, I am sure they have their reasons. Now, where do you live?"

"In an orphanage, not far from here."

"Do they treat you well?" She asked.

"Yes,  _oneechan_. They are so kind," he pulled away so that they could meet eyes. "I have someone to play every day. The food is delicious. I sleep with a lot of friends in the same room so most of the time, I don't feel lonely anymore."

"That's good to hear," she exclaimed. "A nice boy like you... I am sure people will love and like you a lot."

_Including me,_  Haruka curved a smile.

"Is that true,  _oneechan_?"

"Yes. Just now, even you cried, once you saw me tripped, you immediately came for my rescue. I thought, 'ah, this boy is so nice'. I bet people will easily love you for your kindness."

"Well, I just worried about you. You were hurt," he said, honestly.

"Now, I don't feel hurt anymore so shall we take a walk? It may soothe you a bit. I think this place is so nice even I still can't understand why there are only two of us."

"But, it'll be much more fun, right,  _oneechan_!?" Otoya exclaimed out of the blue as he jumped off the bench. Haruka had her hand on her chest, almost believed that she had a mini heart attack upon hearing the excited voice. "We can have the park all by ourselves so come on,  _oneechan_! Let's play everything!"

_Wow, he doesn't even get nervous about that. As expected from Otoya-kun,_  Haruka thought.

The next moment felt like a date with Otoya even he was way shorter and smaller than her. She could not help but convinced that if they had a son, he would look so much like him. Every time he was excited, Haruka felt the urge to pinch his soft cheeks grew in her. But, there were several occasions when she could not control her urge so she ended up...

"Why are you so cute, Otoya? Your wife must be lucky to have you," now, she literally massaged his cheeks as if she was giving him a beauty treatment in a spa.

"My... Wife? I don't... get married yet,  _oneechan_! I am just... Nine-years-old," his words were incoherent since Haruka 'abused' his cheeks but he did not show any sign of typical embarrassment that the boys felt when the adults treated them like kids when in fact, they were one.

"I mean, when you get married later," she pulled away, smiling brightly.

"Is there anyone who'll want to marry me,  _oneechan_?"

'Of course, my dear. Your wife is me' was what she wanted to say but she did not want to scare him.

They said that the truly nice people would never see themselves as one so she guessed that Otoya was one of the said people.

"Of course. You are a nice person after all."

"Then, I want to be nicer so that my parents will like me," unlike his playful tone, Haruka could tell that he was serious. "I really want to know why they left me if they really loved me. If they are in trouble, I want to help them!"

"Eh?"

The last thing she saw was the surrounding turned hazy. Otoya's adorable face gradually turned blurry that she had to blink several times to clear her vision but instead, he was swallowed into a haze.

"Otoya? Otoya?" She looked around.

_No! If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up yet. There are so many things I want to do with him..._

"Haruka..."

A soft voice lingered around, followed by a pair of lean arms around her waist, much to her shock. The moment she recognized it, she turned to the direction. Mixed feelings were about to explode in her veins when she saw Otoya; the 26 years-old Otoya was hugging her from her back. He was wearing his favorite red-cream sweater with brown jeans.

_Huh, where did Otoya-kun come from? Did I really get lost? How about the mini Otoya-kun?_

There were so many questions that she wanted to ask but Otoya's smile froze her because...

His smile was not like how he was known for. Now, all she could see was the painful and apologetic expression.

"Otoya-kun?"

"Here you are! I am so worried about you," he pulled her closer while his nose brushed her hair.

"Really?" She turned to meet his eyes. "Did I get lost for real? Who's the boy?"

"Hm? What boy?" He muffled, still kissing her forehead.

"The boy..." Haruka paused. She just made her husband worried so she decided to not tell him how she just spent time with the child version of him.

_Maybe I am tired. I should go home now,_  she thought.

"Nothing. Should we go back home now, Otoya-kun? But, wait! My handbag is missing..." She reached his hand but he refused to pull away. Instead, she was pulled closer to the lean body.

"Otoya-kun, what happened?" She could not see his face since he bent his head which made his long fringe covered half of his face.

"You should go back now, Haruka. Not only me but everyone is worried about you."

"Huh, me? How about you, Otoya-kun?" She asked but Otoya just turned her body to face him and...

His face. The pain.

But what was it? What caused it?

"I cannot go back home with you, Haruka. I really can't."

"Huh?"

"You saw him, right?"

"Him?"

"The boy," his voice cracked and that was when the wife noticed that her husband was crying. His lips were shaking, attempting to stop his sobs from fleeing.

_Why did I end up seeing both of them cry like this? What on earth is happening?_ She thought. Her heart ached but she was persistent to find the answer.

"Otoya-kun," she leaned closer, wiping the tears away with the hope that it would fade his sadness. "Why are you crying? Who's that boy?"

"Thank you, Haruka," he said, suddenly. "Thank you for everything that you did for me, for  _him_. Thank you for marrying me and accepting me in your life but now, I am sorry. I am so sorry."

"Sorry? For what, Otoya-kun? Please, don't do this to me..."

"I wanted to stay here with you, only with you for a while but I guess, I can't... This is the end..." His answers which did not meet her questions scared her because it seemed that he did not have much time left. He needed to tell her what he needed to tell her as soon as possible.

"Otoya-kun, what..." She was surprised when he stepped back, leaving more and more distance between them. What he did was confusing but it was enough to call the tears from her eyes. "Otoya-kun, wait! Where are you going? Don't leave me."

"I love you, Haruka. I love you so much."

Everything turned pitch-black. Haruka wanted to ask more. She wanted to reach him but her whole body felt slowly paralyzed that it was hard for her to move.

She just could not do anything.

* * *

**"Otoya-kun!"**  The moment she finally could use her voice again, she only saw herself in a very white room. She was sitting up on a bed, also in the same color. She had been put on a drip while her petite body felt so heavy.

_That was a dream? What a relief,_  she thought.

Yet, her body seemed to deny her mind. Instead, it felt heavy with emotions. The bad feeling she had in her heart was about to burst that she needed Otoya now. She did not know why but she needed to see him in order to soothe her.

She lost herself in her trail of mind to the point of when her grandmother, Yachiyo and Tomochika turned up and bombarded her questions about how she was feeling, she just could not register them in her mind. All she thought was her husband, Ittoki Otoya.

"Otoya-kun! Where's Otoya-kun?" As soon as she voiced her curiosity, Yachiyo hugged her shoulders. Unlike her smiling nature, Yachiyo looked like she was just crying.

"Haruka, calm down. You're still weak. You shouldn't leave the bed," Tomochika said. Like Yachiyo, the idol's eyes were also bloodshot while her cheeks were wet, ruining her make-up.

"But, where is Otoya-kun? How did I get here?" She grabbed Tomochika's purple blouse. She averted her sun-kissed eyes towards Yachiyo when her best friend did not show any intention to answer her.

It should be Otoya who took care of her. She knew him. He never left her alone.

Unless there was something that restraining him from being beside her.

Unless there was something happened to him.

"Haru-chan," Yachiyo initiated, her wrinkled hand still stroked Haruka's shoulder. As much as she did not have the heart to say what Haruka wanted to know, her granddaughter had every right to be informed of her husband's condition.

Her late husband's condition.

"Haru-chan, Otoya-kun... Somebody shot him when you were shopping with him. He lost much blood so he was dead before they could hospitalize him," Yachiyo said, in synch with her sobs. She quickly pulled Haruka into her embrace. She kissed the small forehead, channeling comfort even she knew it was pointless.

Haruka froze. The news made her feel like she was the one who got shot.

_No, it can't be._

Why did her husband get shot? What did he do to deserve this? Otoya did not have an enemy. Otoya never made someone hurt so why would they hurt him?

As tears streamed her cheeks, her mind was flashed with the dream.

The mini Otoya said that he wanted to find his parents first.

The adult Otoya said that he was sorry and he loved her.

Now, she knew why she was connected with the strange dream.

It was because she no longer could see him. Otoya just wanted to say what he had to say before leaving her forever.

Soon after that, a terrifying sound of gun shooting and a sight of a pool of blood became crystal clear in her mind.

Now, she remembered what separated her from Otoya.

Now, she noticed what was the circumstance that took her Otoya away from her.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where it happened...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comment and kudos! ^^
> 
> This is like a challenge for me to write about a character that I am not familiar with. Otoya is not my bias but I found his personality adorable and pleasant. He’s likable and I think he suits a tragic hero well. I am sorry if what I have portrayed in terms of his personality or family background doesn’t sound right for you guys.

****The****  fans only knew Ittoki Otoya as a great dancer and gracious idol but to them, he was way more amazing as a friend and family.

He was a ray of sunshine for STARISH. His presence alone inevitably carried the warm vibe that one needed to enliven their life. Otoya was the glue of the group. The thing that mattered to him the most was his teammates and Haruka. He could not lose them since they were the part of his new life. His background as an orphan, residing in a house with a lot of children with the same destiny as him had molded him into a person with a strong sense of loyalty and affection.

As for Haruka, Otoya had always been the best guy for her, cherishing and solacing her like a princess. So, when he confessed his love to her with a very red face and stammered all the way, she knew this was the best thing ever happened in her life.

Choosing Ittoki Otoya as her timeless life partner… something that she would prize evermore.

Yet, the destiny decided to throw her an anguishing spiral out of the blue. She knew, unlike in fairy tale, they would not live happily ever after. One of them would leave the other person first but…

How she wished Otoya would not leave her after being shot on his heart. How she wished Otoya would not die with a devastating amount of blood, besieged his stock-still body.

They said when someone was on his deathbed, his behavior would change drastically but for Otoya’s case, he did not parade any. He had still been loud, bubbly, and loving towards his wife. He still enjoyed playing soccer with Syo and he was late for their practice as usual.

So, where did it go wrong? Who was that bastard who killed him without mercy? What had Otoya done to them to the point of they never dithered over ‘stealing’ Otoya from Haruka and STARISH?

A month had passed and nobody knew the answers. All they could do was moving on with their life while recollecting the puzzles of their memories with Otoya.

* * *

****“Guys,****  sorry I am late!” The loud crash against the door was not enough to make them jumped out of their skin. Instead, Otoya’s piercing shriek almost ruined everyone’s eardrums.

“What now, Otoya? Your alarm clock strangely did not make a sound? Or did you pass out somewhere?” The perfectionist in the group, Tokiya asked him. He always had the flatly soft tone but it was not always a good thing. Instead, it also passed as the ultimate sarcasm for that day.

“Nope. I just overslept,” the guitarist beamed, scratching his head.

“Yet again,” the pianist of the group, Masato added.

“Yeah, yeah, Masa. I overslept yet again,” Otoya said, still putting on a bright smile.

“Poor Nanami. She has to put up with your sleeping habit,” Syo said, half-joking.

“I am very sorry, guys. Don’t worry. It won’t last long. Sooner or later, you can start your practice on the dot,” Otoya said, ignoring the verity that he looked too self-assured.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you want to say that you won’t oversleep anymore?” Tokiya lifted his eyebrow.

“Yes!”

“That’s technically impossible,” Masato adjoined, leaving his piano. “Habits die hard. I doubt you will change sooner or later, Ittoki. It might take several years.”

“Waaaa, that’s mean, Masa! I can change too, you know,” Otoya said, pouting as both the blue heads did not show any sign of trusting him.

“Yeah, Otoya is right. You guys don’t have to be so direct though,” Cecil said, patting Otoya’s back sympathetically.

“It’s okay, Ikki. They both are just a pair of  _tsundere_ swho cannot say out loud that they are worried about you,” Ren, the charmer of the group suggested, ignoring a pair of glowers from the said guys. “Icchi was like ‘Otoya is late. Did he meet an accident?’ while Hijirikawa went ‘I should call Ittoki if he doesn’t show up any sooner. I am afraid something might happen to him’.”

“Waaa, that’s a good impersonation of Miyano-san and Suzumura-san’s voices, Ren-kun! I don’t know Suwabe-san can be that versatile with his voice,” Natsuki exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Otoya and Cecil supplied. They looked like they just created a temporary fan club for Suwabe Junichi.

“Shall we start now? It will take forever if we just talk about our voice actors,” Tokiya said, taking his spot at the center of the training room in order to warm up.

“Ohhh, one of the  _tsundere_ s gets shy,” Ren teased, tying up his long hair.

“You better shut up if you don’t want to see both  _tsundere_ s give you hell,” Syo said.

“Thank you, Kurusu. I am forever in your debt,” Masato said, as prescribed as possible. If there was one thing that could make Masato and Syo could relate to each other was their endless exasperation towards Ren.

Thus, their normal practice took place on that day. When they said normal, it was including how Syo would rake Cecil over the coals since the prince kept dancing to his infamous Agna Dance. Masato would fight with Ren, nagging how lousy the latter’s dance movement before they decried each other’s cooking skills afterward. Natsuki and Tokiya never got on each other’s nerves until Natsuki suggested the perfectionist to try dancing like Piyo-chan.

This craziness was something that Otoya never got tired of.

* * *

****_It_**** _has been a long time since I can spend time together with Otoya-kun and STARISH,_  Haruka thought as she served their breakfast for today. Apart from composing new songs for the group that she had founded ten years ago, she also had a few other projects including composing songs for CFs and movies theme songs.

But today was not for her to think or find inspiration. Her time was fully for Otoya. It might be a gathering with STARISH but she still would spend more time with her husband.

“It’s all set. I should wake him up now,” she muttered excitedly. She left the dining room, heading straight for Otoya who was still dead to the world. His talk show shooting with Kotobuki Reiji ended too late last night.

Yet, much to her puzzlement, Otoya was shifting restlessly on the bed. His chest rose unevenly as he panted in his sleep.

“Otoya-kun?” Haruka quickly sat beside him and that was when she could spot the tears which streamed down her husband’s cheeks. More followed suits as he murmured something low.

_Is he crying?_

“Otoya-kun, wake up! Otoya-kun!” She shook his shoulder anxiously. Whatever he dreamed of, it must be something horrifying and she did not want him to keep being scared and alone in his nightmare.

The ruby eyes shot open, caused more tears trickled down his cheeks.

“Otoya-kun, are you okay?” Her question was left unreciprocated. Instead, Otoya was staring at the ceiling in despair.

“Otoya-kun!” The frightened wife patted his chest continuously which eventually made Otoya snapped from his little world.

“Did you have a nightmare?” she asked, pushing his red bang backward before wiping his tears.

“It seemed so,” Otoya muttered, quickly curving in his significantly lovely smile.

It was palpable that he was still overwhelmed by the emotions that he suffered from the nightmare, given how shaky his pupils were.

“Please tell me what’s about, Otoya-kun. You know I am all ears for you, right?” she coaxed. She planted loving kisses on every inch of his face, attempting to soothe and physically tell him that she wanted to comfort him.

“It’s nothing, really. You don’t have to worry,” Otoya replied before pulling her into his embrace. She squeaked out of shock, her cheek immediately felt Otoya’s wet black shirt.

_He sweated a lot. Just what happened…_

“Don’t worry about me,” as if he can read her mind, he muttered. Calloused fingers caressed her short hair, channeling his endless affection towards her.

“You’re sweating,” Haruka stated, reminding herself of not to feel too pampered by Otoya’s embrace when she had another serious thing to fret about. “You cried a lot so I don’t call those as fine, Otoya-kun.”

He chuckled. It was supposed to make her feel better but his throbbing heart against her ear betrayed him.

“I just had a dream about a ghost from the horror movie. You know… the new one that we kept talking about? I watched it with Tokiya last night. I guess I still couldn’t forget it.”

“Oh… really?”

_It did make sense._

“Yeah. It’s so scary. In the movie, it only stood there and did nothing but in my dream, it suddenly strangled me from my back and…”

“Please stop, Otoya-kun! You know I am a scaredy-cat, right? I can’t even survive a ghost house for crying out loud,” the cute voice interrupted. He could feel she snuggled up to his chest more.

Otoya laughed melodiously. The memory of they screamed together in a ghost house which was organized by Otoya’s orphanage suddenly showed up in his mind. Silly him. Instead of protecting or comforting her properly, he ended up shrieking as loud as her after Cecil’s hand-made ghost suddenly showed up from the ceiling. What a strong chemistry they had!

Not to mention he almost confessed his love to his wife. Judging his tendency to be a stammering mess, he found it hard to believe that he finally managed to date and marry Haruka.

She almost fell asleep since Otoya’s chest was the best pillow that she ever had when he suddenly sat up, still holding her small frame. She received a kiss on her forehead, flashing that she should stop agonizing and focusing on their excursion today.

“Let’s prepare for today, shall we? We have a looottt of things to do,” Otoya said, caressing her cheek before leaving the bed. For a second, Haruka was about to ask him to cancel the outing and spend time together in their house instead but Otoya was moving around like a red squirrel, reaching his towel after taking out his clothes for today.

_Well, I guess he is so excited about today. Oh, speaking about…_

“Otoya-kun,” she called, which stopped his way right in front of the bathroom’s door.

“Yes?” The red eyes widened, followed by a charming smile.

“What do you say if we shop for baby clothes too? I know we don’t have a child yet but you know… Just want to imagine how our children will look like if they wear them.”

However, Otoya lost his smile right away. It seemed like he himself was surprised of his spontaneous reaction that he chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, it’s not that I don’t want to buy them but…” he placed his dark green towel on his shoulders as he beamed. “I don’t think we need them.”

It was a simple answer. As expected from Otoya but this time, his demeanor upset her.

“But, Otoya-kun…”

“Just buy what _you_  need, okay? You had worked so hard so you deserve a special treat from your husband,” Otoya reasoned out before heading into the bathroom.

It indicated the end to their conversation about the topic. His reaction was shocking. Otoya had always been thoughtful of what Haruka needed. As long as it was the best for Haruka, it would work the same for him but this time, he physically showed that she should follow what he said.

_Is he not ready to expect a child yet? I know it’s only been six months since we got married but…_

* * *

****“Okay,****  guys. Can somebody tell me what on earth are we doing here?” Syo asked, staring at the crowded shopping complex in disbelief. “In this frigging shopping complex? It’s not like we are invited to launch it or something.”

It was totally a disbelief and nightmare for a bunch of popular idols like them. Shining Mall which was their president’s another business branch was having its first day and it certainly got crazy with the fans who were the loyal buyers of Shining Agency’s products. The band’s merchandise was also one of the hottest products here but the worst case would be; STARISH members would be spotted and they had to run for their life.

Walking around in public without bodyguards was something that only they could picture in their mind. Being in disguise was still risky since there were a lot of smart fans who could recognize them just from their walking style or voice.

But, because of the insistent Otoya, they were here but another worst case was the redhead was still nowhere to be found!

“It’s because of Otoya. He wants us to shop for things with him,” Cecil said. He cared less about their risky outing as he was happy to see so many fans supported their group. They squealed as soon as they managed to buy their merchandise.

“But, why here instead of some more peaceful places?” Masato asked before eyeing Tokiya. “You know, today is the first day so of course we can expect so many people like this.”

“Huh? I don’t know. Don’t ask me,” Tokiya said, quickly. “I was about to ask the same thing.”

“You always don’t know anything about your best friend, Icchi,” Ren said. Even his voice sounded a bit muffled against his scarf which covered his mouth, it did not make him sound less annoying.

“Well, if your regular fracas with Hijirikawa-san is the result of knowing each other too well, I am afraid I prefer my definition of friendship more. Thank you,” Tokiya retorted right away.

“But the more important thing is where are Otoya-kun and Haru-chan?” The timing could not be more on the dot. As soon as Natsuki pointed out where was the mastermind of this sudden outing, they could see a couple with a suspicious outfit like theirs, waving at them.

“Sorry, guys. We’re…”

“It’s okay. We somehow could get used to it,” Tokiya said, followed by others’ nods. Was it sarcastic? They did not know themselves.

“I promise this will be the last one I got late,” Otoya put his palms together, pressing his nose against them.

“Yeah, every day is the last one for you,” Syo replied. “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“Huh? Plan? Who said we have a plan? I just want to pay for you guys. You guys can buy anything!”

“What?” All of them resonated but were still aware enough to control their voices from drawing unwanted attention.

“Yes. I already asked the managers of your favorite shops to send me the bills. Masa and Tokiya can buy as many books as you both want and the same goes with you guys too!”

“Why are you so… No, to say that you’re suddenly generous is not the right word,” Cecil said, struggling to find words. “You’re always generous but… hmm, what is the word?”

“I can see you’re still having trouble with your Japanese,” Syo remarked.

“That’s not what I meant!”

 _Yeah, that’s not what Cecil-san meant,_  Haruka thought. She silently observed her husband who was laughing while stopping Syo and Cecil from being at each other’s throats.

The rest of them also secretly looked at each other.

The fact that Otoya wanted to pay for everyone in conjunction with their recently high income when they earned the same amount was one thing but…

What’s with this bad feeling? No one could tell.

* * *

****“Otoya-kun,”****  as soon as his favorite voice called him, the said redhead turned.

It felt like he fell in love with Haruka all over again as the sight of her, wearing the light yellow dress that he chose for her met his eyes. She looked good in whatever she wore and that was the fact that Otoya realized as her husband.

Still, his heart could not take it. She looked so beautiful, especially when her loving and anticipated smile was only for him.

“Is this okay?” She repeated as all her husband did was staring at her. She glanced at herself, searching for the part of the dress that might look weird for her body.

“Huh? Yeah, yeah. You look… beautiful,” his cheeks were dusted in red as he spurted out whatever his brain could process. It was a typical reaction that she got whenever she tried to dress prettily and she was glad that she always managed to satisfy him.

“Thank you! Then, I will take this one,” she was about to get into the dressing room when he reached her arm.

“Haruka…” he stared deep into her eyes as his hand went down to her hand before squeezing it. “Can you wear it now? Please…”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes, I love it! Like, really love it,” he exclaimed, holding her hands as he observed her down to her toe.

“Okay, then,” she looked down, her cheeks were as red as his.

“Why don’t you go and pay for your clothes first. I want to buy ice cream. Any flavor that you prefer?”

“Hm… I prefer if we share the ice cream so you can pick whatever flavor you want,” she said. If she was blunter, she would curse herself out loud now for being so cheesy in public.

Yet, she could not help it. She loved it the most when she could share everything with Otoya.

“Oh, really? I was about to ask the same thing,” he chuckled, stroking her head. “Then, wait for me here, okay? This is the card. And after this, please settle all the bills for other guys as well. I really wish you can help me, Haruka.”

“Huh? Why are you asking me to…”

“Because I got something to do after this. Please… do it for me,” he pleaded, unconsciously showing his infamous puppy eyes towards his wife.

_Waahh, so cute!_

“Okay, okay!” She said, almost blurting out ‘Stop giving me those eyes!’

“Thank you, Haruka! Thank you so much! This is why I love you!” He said, hugging her cheerfully like a son who finally could convince his mother to buy a toy car.

“No… problem.”

_Is it me or is he too excited about this? Why he’s so happy with such a small help?_

* * *

****While**** waiting for his ice-cream, Otoya was gazing at his wife through the glass door. She was talking with one of the saleswomen, laughing and smiling.

_Good, Haruka. Please laugh out loud like that. Smile like you’re the happiest person in the world. I will always pray for you so that you can continue being a sunshine like that._

Her smile cheered him in so many possible ways that he himself was surprised at. Her smile was so precious and so her laughter. He could hear and see them all day.

Because of her, he found his true home. He found a group of people who would spend their time with him like a family.

_I wish we have more time together but…_

_Still, thank you for appearing in my life, Haruka._

As he paid for the ice-cream and walked towards her, she quickly excused herself and headed for him. The smile was still on her face but this time, it also brought tears to him.

_Take care, Haruka. I will always love you no matter where do I end up._

_Take care of her, guys. I am sorry for everything._

That was when he could hear feel something sharp and brisk penetrated his heart. Loud sounds followed in horror but the last one that was too painful for him to hear was…

“Otoya-kun!”

As he felt Haruka’s warmth against him, followed by her sobs, there was one line clouded his mind before his body felt too tired and heavy that he had to rest eternally.

On the first day of Shining Mall launch, Ittoki Otoya, an idol from Shining Agency was found dead after being shot by a gun.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in the midst of finding a new title and trying not to be too descriptive. It’ll be time-consuming if I follow the rules of proper writing such as ‘Show vs Tell’ and what not. 


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